Ray's Letters and numbers is an educational software that was created for teaching children between the ages of three and six years their alphabet, numbers,counting,simple spelling, colours and everyday objects. The software is enhanced by comprehensible audio and stimulating colours which reinforces its appealing characteristics.Letters and Numbers allows the child to explore and practice at his/her own pace. The program can also be used to improve a child's vocabulary since it gives the spelling and pronunciation of each object chosen. The software is recommendable because it allows students to construct their knowledge while experimenting. It is designed using concrete examples of which the children can relate to and they can be left to work on their own with very little supervision. This is quite beneficial, according to theorist Jean Piaget who stated that children constructed their knowledge through their own experiences and providing concrete illustrations helps them to understand and practice which can lead to automaticity.
Ray's Letters and Numbers is easily navigated by the clicking of the mouse and the language is extremely coherent.It also test the children's cognitive abilities by permitting them to put together a hat which is in the form of a puzzle. The software also ensures that the children know whether they are choosing the right answer by giving a simple "yes" for the correct answer. The voices are also interchangeable so that you do not get exhausted by continuously hearing the aforesaid voice. Ray's Letters and Numbers can easily be used by teachers or by parents because it encourages higher order changes by permitting the child to construct sentences from the words learned.
It is a resource that should be readily available in the classroom because it would allow the teacher to reiterate what was taught and incorporate fun into the learning process.
The link that is provided allows for the free download of the software Ray's Letters and Numbers.
http://www.rayslearning.com/lettersa.htm
